


Falling for a Russian Spy

by TrashWalkingIntoTrash



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 12:56:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17162369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrashWalkingIntoTrash/pseuds/TrashWalkingIntoTrash
Summary: Without really knowing why, TJ Kippen starts talking to Marty during summer and they start hanging out all the time. They share secrets with each other, and though Marty knows there is no point, he finds himself falling for TJ.





	Falling for a Russian Spy

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [TJ's Playlist](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15801564) by [staristired](https://archiveofourown.org/users/staristired/pseuds/staristired). 
  * Inspired by [When TJ Was](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17047094) by [staristired](https://archiveofourown.org/users/staristired/pseuds/staristired). 



"You're the party guy, right?"

Marty looked up from his book and met a pair of green eyes. "Uh, depends on which party you are referring to? I think many guys can be considered as the party guy, it all comes down to which party". 

"The party where you met Buffy Driscoll?" 

Marty bit his lip. "Oh, yeah. That would be me". 

"It's nice to finally meet you! I'm TJ!"

TJ reached out his hand, waiting for Marty to shake it. With a vague hint of suspicion in his eyes, Marty loosely grabbed the hand and shook it. "I know".

"Of course, Buffy must've mentioned me", TJ smiled and sat down beside Marty on the bench. Marty shifted uncomfortably. 

"You're not incorrect. She did mention you, but I was more referring to the fact that I tried out for the basketball team".

A wind of realisation and embarrassment hit TJ and he shook his head. "Oh right, of course... I'm sorry..."

"And not to mention that we also have four classes together".

"Oh... You're... You're right. I'm sorry for... I don't know, experiencing an early stage of dementia." 

Marty snorted and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry about it. I’m Marty by the way". Though he has been hurt before that TJ never returned any of his welcoming smiles in class or nods of recognition in the corridor, he couldn't help but feel a bit entertained over the fact that TJ Kippen now sat beside him on a bench in the park. 

It was summer, and Marty was reading Emily Brontë's classic Wuthering Heights. He was supposed to have finished reading it and written a review about it two weeks before the summer holidays started, but, as he told his teacher, "life got in between". This lead to the agreement that Marty didn't have to turn in the review, but if he could finish it during the summer it would be very much appreciated and show that she could trust Marty. Since he values and wants to be perceived as a trustworthy person, he decided that he would, indeed, finish this God-awful book and ace the review. That is why Marty could now be found on a bench in the park, in the middle of the day, with a book in his lap. Instead of sitting in front of the TV in his room, playing the new Resident Evil he finally managed to convince his mother to let him get. The fact that he now was allowed to play the game was the only thing that occupied his mind when he was at home, so he knew he had to get out of the house to be able to do some of the reading he had to do. That's how he ended up in the park, but why TJ was there, and why TJ was talking to him, really puzzled him. 

"So... What are you doing?" 

Marty frowned and looked down at the book in his lap. "I'm reading Wuthering Heights for-" 

TJ interrupted him "Good choice - that's the best book by the Brontë sisters! I've read it twice".

Marty, with big eyes, faced TJ again. What did this intimidating basketball captain just say? The same guy that gave Buffy a hard time because he felt threatened by her talent? The same guy that always sits in the back of the class with some of his basketball friends, laughing at memes instead of listening to the teacher? That same guy just said he liked this old book that doesn't make sense? The book is supposed to be the character Mr Lockwood's diary, but who on earth would write such a detailed diary, retelling a story an old maid told him earlier that day - also in a creepy big amount of detail? Marty had no words to describe his shock, the only thing he managed to get out from his mouth was a short, but clear, "Nerd".

This time TJ snorted and then clutched his chest. "Oh no, anything but that".

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me".

TJ smiled again. "I knew you were a good guy" he loosely hit Marty's shoulder, in the same way close bros do to show their love for each other, and it made the insides of his stomach jump. In such a short amount of time, Marty and TJ's relationship had gone from maybe saying two words to each other in total, to now being on bro terms. Marty was shocked over the fact that he apparently had been waiting for this for a long time. The part of his shoulder TJ just touched felt warm, and his mouth's automatic response was to turn into a warm, but small - like, he's not desperate or anything -, smile. For like a second, this felt like the most natural thing ever. He and TJ have always been friends and he's been one of the people finding the best memes that makes TJ laugh the most because they have the same sense of humour and a special bond. They can call each other nerds and losers and trust each other. They are bros. They love punching each other's shoulders. They love hugging each other too, while firmly holding hands in between their chests and adding three punches on the other's back. They play games together and are very competitive, so one of them always end up very petty, but since they are so close, they always manage to make up at the end. They tease each other about who they like. They make "yo mama" jokes, though they are out-dated, and they actually have deep talks during sleepovers. This concept felt so natural and right to Marty, so it took him 5 seconds until he realized it was just a fantasy. TJ sitting here, talking to Marty, is not because they are bros, his reason is still a mystery. 

"I know I'm great and all that, and this is nice, but how come that you are actually talking to me now?" 

TJ shrugged his shoulders again. "Why not?" 

"Stop trying to act cool, I already know you're a nerd, there is no coming back from that" TJ chuckled and Marty couldn't, once again, stop himself from smiling. "I don't mind ya talking to me, but it is very odd and I'm paranoid this is part of a hidden camera show or something. I've always wanted to be part of one, but I wish my hair would have been in better shape than this before appearing on camera". 

"I think your hair looks great though," TJ said with an encouraging smile and Marty's stomach did that weird thing again. 

"Damn, you're really trying to avoid answering my question, almost as if you're HIDING something..." Marty started to look around. "Where's the camera, huh?" 

"It's not a coincidence I've read Wuthering Heights twice - the second time reading it, I read the copy from the school library, the copy you're holding, and I planted a camera in it. We've been watching you this whole summer, Marty. This is not a prank show though. I'm a Russian spy" TJ said without missing a beat. He took a deep breath and then opened his mouth again, and, this time in something supposed to be a Russian accent, said: "I'm the son of Putin". 

Marty slammed the book in his lap. "You almost had me there, but I know for a fact that Putin does not have a son - so you're lying!" 

TJ, with all his power, hid away a smile. "Dammit, you're really good. This usually always work". 

"Thanks, I know. But you do owe me an explanation now, young man". 

"Alright," TJ took a deep breath. "I'm just trying to be a better person".

"By pretending to be a Russian spy?" 

TJ snorted. "You see - I need a lot of practice". 

"True, but it could have been worse. You could have pretended to be a Trump supporter". 

"Isn't it the same thing?" 

"You're right. You need a lot of practice" 

TJ started to laugh and- oh shit, he has a really cute laugh. Marty has heard it before, somewhere in the background, but now sitting beside TJ and being the cause of his laugh changed the whole game. Something that before was just some background noise was now some kind of music to Marty's ears. Sure, he wasn't sure what genre the music belonged to, if it was something he would like to listen to in the long-run, but it had a beautiful melody that got stuck in his head. 

TJ calmed down and leaned back on the bench. "Okay, time to be serious. As you know I wasn't nice to Buffy-"

"Yeah, you were a fucking dick", Marty had, during this half of the conversation, forgotten about the way TJ had treated Buffy, but now when he was reminded of it, anger started to boil inside of him. He remembered the texts Buffy sent him after one of the first practices she had had with the team. She had told Marty about TJ's attitude and some of the things he had said to her and that had filled Marty with so much rage, so he didn't know if he would ever be able to stop texting in caps-lock and be able to prevent himself from punching TJ in next history class. Buffy had to calm him down and be the reasonable one. She argued that TJ felt threatened because she was as good, or even better, at basketball than him and this was some kind of defence mechanism. Marty thought that was bullshit. Having Buffy being as good, or even better, than him on something he was passionate about didn't turn him into a dick, it helped motivate him. He really did like her and would be prepared to punch TJ for her, even now when they almost are bros, but since she wouldn't be prepared to do the same, and they've gone their separate ways, he's better off not punching people. Telling them off though? That's a whole other story. Marty usually doesn't swear, but no other word than the f-word could fully emphasise the amount of dick TJ was before. 

"Harsh words, but I deserve them," TJ shrugged. "I'm not proud over it, but that is in the past now. Just before summer, I apologi- I rapped for her, in which I confirmed she was and is the better person". 

"And she, Buffy, just... Forgave you? Just like that?" 

"I guess she saw how much effort I put in trying to make her forgive me and accept me, which showed that I actually meant it this time. Before, I never put any effort into even trying to accept her and work with her. But now I played a fair game of basketball with her, and I improvised a rap about her that, by the way, was a bop," TJ brushed his shoulders in a swift movement that was supposed to look cool. Marty snorted and rolled his eyes. TJ quickly put his hands in his lap again. "It made her believe in the fact that I was genuinely sorry this time. And then, I guess, Cyrus' approval of me made a big impact on her too". 

"Are you friends with Cyrus?" The concept of TJ and Cyrus being on friendly terms did sound familiar to Marty, but it also did feel like a wild concept to him. Even wilder when he saw the hint of a blush appearing on TJ's cheeks after Marty's question. 

"Yeah, we kinda are," TJ uttered the words in a lower volume than the ones before. That, for some reason, made it feel like a stone hit the bottom of Marty's stomach. TJ cleared his throat before Marty could say anything, and he sat up straight. "He told me a bit about yours and Buffy's relationship and how he's sad over how it ended. He liked you. So, now when I saw you sitting here alone in the middle of the park, I thought I could practice my 'being-friendly-and-generally-a-better-person' skills and see what Buffy and Cyrus saw in you. Or something". 

"So I'm your Guinea pig?" 

"Yeah" TJ grinned. "But I must say I think I already can see why they liked you". 

This time it was Marty's turn to blush. He quickly looked down on his book and bit his lower lip to stop himself from smiling like a fool. He needs to play this cool. "Thanks, I wish I could say the same". 

"Wow," TJ sarcastically said and paused. Marty started to partially regret his words. TJ then sighed and stood up. "Give me your phone," he suddenly said, and Marty looked up. TJ was now standing in front of him, holding out his hand. Marty furrowed his brows but did as he was told. "Merci". 

"Oh wow, you know French. I didn't know I was dealing with such a cultured young man," said Marty and TJ just chuckled, shook his head and continued typing on Marty's phone. After a few seconds, he locked the phone and gave it back. 

"I have now changed the password on your phon-", TJ was interrupted by Marty unlocking his phone and then holding up his phone in order to prove him wrong, resulting in showing off his phone's background picture. It was of a black cat. "Okay, you got me again. But by the way - cute cat. I also have a cat". 

"What's its name?" 

"Macaroni. I hate him". 

Marty inhaled dramatically. "How dare you!?" 

"He hates me, which makes me hate him. But that's just our way of showing that we love each other. It's complicated". 

"My cat hates me too, but that just makes me love him more. I guess I probably have a thing for unrequited love," Marty surprised himself with the depressing turn but hoped that TJ didn't notice.

"Kinda same actually," TJ responded and sighed deeply. "What's your cat's name though?" 

"Spike". 

TJ started to laugh, and this time around it really confirmed what Marty thought before - TJ did have a cute laugh. His laugh lines deepened, and his white teeth shone through. He shook his head in disbelief over the fact that Marty's cat was named Spike. Though Marty thought Spike was a great name for a cat, he couldn't help joining in on TJ's laughter - creating harmonies. 

TJ shook his head once more and then he calmed down. "I'm not even gonna comment why your cat has a dog name. I have to go soon, but I have now fixed so you follow me and wants to be my friend everywhere. I'm thinking we can keep in contact on an app of your choosing and then you can make up your own opinion about me," TJ grinned. "It was fun talking with you. See ya!" TJ turned away and took some steps before suddenly stopping in his tracks and turned his head around to look on Marty. "I'm sorry, but I need to tell you that I live for them likes. So, on Instagram, I made you like all of my posts up to one year back... I don't know your friends, but you may get some messages from one of them questioning your crush and obsession with me. I hope that's okay? I promise I'll be working on being a nicer person later". 

Before Marty had time to say anything, and with the biggest grin on his lips known to mankind, TJ turned around and jogged away. Marty was left with no words, except for those inside the book in his lap. Suddenly his phone vibrated, and he opened it to check what caused it. He had gotten a message from Unironic Dabber. Also known as Jae - his best friend. 

[Unironic Dabber]: whens the wedding???

Another message with a screenshot of the activity of the ones Jae follows on Instagram, showing that Marty just liked 34 of TJ Kippen's posts. 

[Me]: calm down, it's very new. we haven't decided on a date yet. let us be 

[Unironic Dabber]: im ur best man tho, right? 

[Me]: ofc <3 

[Unironic Dabber]: good <3

[Unironic Dabber]: seriously tho, since when r u obsessed with tj???

[Me]: obsessed? says the one who just seconds after me liking all the photos sends me a message bout it

[Unironic Dabber]: wow, so defensive. just tell me

[Me]: there's nothing to tell. tj took my phone and then liked all of his own posts. I was helpless

[Unironic Dabber]: since when r u hanging out with tj kippen???

[Me]: since today, apparently 

Marty saw how the speech bubble with the three dots appeared, but he chose to close the phone and read Jae's reply later. For now, he had to focus on Wuthering Heights, not a blonde basketball captain with deep green eyes and- 

Marty finished a paragraph of the book, but he couldn't remember anything of what it said. His mind was too occupied of trying to figure out what song TJ's laugh reminded him of. The only one with the right rhythm appearing in his head, when he tried to convince himself it didn't mean anything, was Selena Gomez's "Bad Liar". He wasn't a big fan of her previous music, but after hearing this song being played out loud around him, he couldn't help taking a liking to it. After today, he liked it even more.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic I've ever written in English, so sorry for any grammatical errors and stuff like that. I didn't plan for this being a chaptered fic, especially considering I may not have that much time to update it. But I will do my best.
> 
> Peace out!


End file.
